Atom Ant
by TRikiD
Summary: Brought into the word via illegal experimenting, a simple ant was transformed into a mutant with super powers by a mad scientist. Now, the ant is torn between the dark destiny his creator has planned for him, and the freedom and love that he now vows to protect.
1. Prologue

Atom Ant

Not too long ago, a mad man named Albert Von Gimmick was placed in the Green Haven Correctional Facility for being accused of illegal experimenting and animal cruelty. Albert believed he could make a genetic breakthrough, that he could change the genes of animals and turn them into invulnerable creatures of power. He always expected great praise for thinking beyond such comprehension. But he was wrong. Albert tried to make the people believe, but they only saw him as quack that didn't care about the pain he caused to his test subjects.

But on the morning of October 31, 1970, Von Gimmick's sentence was finally over, and he couldn't have been happier to be free and get back to his experiments once more. All he wanted to do was create super heroes to protect everyone, but his mind was twisted after all of the rejection and solitude.

Now, all Albert wanted was revenge. And, of course, he would use the one thing they had all doubted to get his revenge: His experiments. But when he returned to his old mansion, far from the hustle and bustle of New York City, Von Gimmick was devastated to find that all of his test subjects and hard work had been destroyed.

The lanky old man ran up the stairs, terrified that his prized project was also lost, as he lab coat snagged on a splintered stair. He tripped and grunted in pain when he fell and hit his knew on the stairs, and rolled back over to grab his knee in pain.

Von Gimmick reached up when the pain subsided, and grabbed the matted white hair on his thinning head in agony, "What have they done?"

But despite his age and physique, Albert quickly crawled up the stairs and ran into his office, and skidded to a halt when he looked inside. Unlike the rest of his home, his office remained untouched, with police tape blocking the doorway.

Albert effortlessly tore the tape down, and smiled in amazement that the remainder of his life's work was still intact.

"Only God knows why they didn't harm you." The scientist approached his desk and leaned down to get eye level with a small glass terrarium, but the dust and sand on the sides made it difficult to see the tiny object moving inside.

"But only God himself would keep something as precious as you alive—we have work to do, little one."

Pulling off the screen lid, Von Gimmick reached inside with a pair of tweezers and pulled an average little ant, and it helplessly struggled within his grasp as he lifted the ant to his face to have a better look.

The dark red insect was small-minded and oblivious to the situation, and what Von Gimmick had in store for it. "Such a perfect specimen, you are. Why, they would _never_ see you coming, let alone expect an ant. I don't know what I would have done if those fools had gotten to you, too—but thank heavens they haven't."

Von Gimmick brought the ant over to an operating table, and carefully set it inside of another, much cleaner terrarium, "I know you can't understand me yet, but you will in time—now, all you need is the one thing that will change you and the whole world forever."

The scientist pulled key tied around his neck out from behind his vest, and kneeled down to push heavy books and equipment out of the way, and soon revealed a small safe with a large lock. Luckily, the key he had was a perfect fit, and he soon opened the door and pulled out a beaker with a bright blue glowing liquid inside.

Steam arose from within the safe and out of the top of the beaker when Von Gimmick slowly carried the beaker with a large pair of tongs and set it down on the operating table.

"They called me a quack…they called me cruel…they called me _crazy_ …but now, they will pay for their ignorance."

Using a tear dropper, Von Gimmick siphoned the blue potion until the tear dropper was full, and then aimed it directly over the unsuspecting ant. Von Gimmick smiled wickedly, as he spilled the entire potion in the nozzle onto the incest, immediately burning through its little body like acid.

"By combining my serum with that of a healthy creature—I can create the _perfect_ _monster_."

* * *

 **I own nothing. Atom Ant is rightfully owned by Hanna Barbera. Please, support the official release.**


	2. Chapter 1 - A Day in the Life of Nicky M

Chapter 1 - A Day in the Life of Nicky M.

The ant dissolved into a puddle while blood mixed with the blue liquid and created a dark purple glow. But soon, a slightly bigger figure formed within puddle, as two arms and two legs sprouted from its body, as well as swirling antennae at the top of its head.

The violet liquid seeped off of the new ant's body, revealing a much more muscular and anthropomorphic shape, but it seemed that after such a horrific transformation, it was completely drained of energy and collapsed.

"W-What? No…no, no! This can't be happening! My calculations were flawless!" Von Gimmick screamed at the top of his lungs, whipping around shoving fragile science equipment off the table and shattering them into a million pieces on the floor. But the one thing he left untouched was the terrarium and the ant inside.

But the old man would soon change that when he reached inside and plucked the transformed insect from the puddle, glaring daggers at it, "You were supposed to be my greatest achievement! But now, I only see my judgment was clouded by the high hopes in an _ant_! I can't waste my time and energy on such a pathetic creature!"

With that, Von Gimmick through the dead ant towards the single window in his office, throwing it hard enough to miraculously shatter it. And when Von Gimmick was surprised how powerful the ant's body still was, even after death.

"Perhaps my experiment isn't a _complete_ lost cause. If the ant's body was powerful enough to break a window after being thrown like that, I couldn't imagine what power it would possess being alive—and destroy through its own will," Von Gimmick pondered aloud with a smile.

Meanwhile, the ant lay motionless in Von Gimmick's backyard, and a hungry red breasted robin was quickly descending when he spotted the insect below.

The bird hastily made his way down and landed, pecking the unique ant and darting off into the sky with his breakfast. The robin noticed a burning sensation in his beak, as the droplets of Von Gimmick's potion seeped onto his tongue.

As the robin flew over a field and approached lone railroad track, he couldn't take the unbearable pain anymore and accidentally dropped the insect. Descending like a rag doll, the ant soon hit the gravel on the side of the track hard enough to create a small crater.

And that's when it happened; the ant woke with a gasp and finally opened his eyes to reveal curious yellow orbs and human-like black irises. The insect breathed slowly and brought his hands up to further inspect himself, but he then looked down at the crater and back up at the sky in wonder.

"Strange…judging by the depth of this crater, I must have fallen from a deathly height—but I can't feel a thing," the ant spoke in a raspy and high-pitched voice, and then he noticed something else was really off, "Wait…who am I…what am I?"

The ground suddenly started shaking and rumbling as the ant stood, further arising his curiosity. But just when he was going to look the other way down the track, a locomotive and its freight train came thundering through. The ground shook violently and even knocked the ant off his feet, and he watched in terror and awe as the chain of gigantic objects raced by.

"Jumpin' jets," the ant breathed and smiled in amazement, "A vehicle of this size and traveling at this speed must have dangerously unstable inertia!"

As if he jinxed it, a car towards the middle of the train passed by and caught the ant's attention when he heard the loud clanking of a coupling, as it bounced violently over the bumpy tracks. Once the car ran over the largest bump, the car tipped over and leaned to the right as the rest of the train in front continued on.

The ant looked up in fear and his antennae drooped, as the car and the rest behind it threatened to crush him. But as soon as it crashed into the gravel, and the ant expected a swift death…but it never came. He clenched his teeth and slowly opened his eyes while holding his arms up when he heard soft clanking; miraculously, he was lifting the car, and with little effort, to boot.

"This…this is impossible," the ant grunted while straightening his back, "I shouldn't be capable of accomplishing this, it's a feat beyond comprehension and physics!"

With another grunt, the insect pushed forward to try and get the train back on track, but he noticed the ground, or lack thereof, was different as closed his eyes while pushing harder. He looked down when the car was to find yet another impossible event: He was no longer on the ground, and was floating in mid-air with the car still in his grasp.

He gasped in shock and accidentally dropped the car, causing it to land perfectly on the track with a loud thud and some of the freight inside to bounce out. He looked at his hands once more with even more terror than before, questioning his own strength.

"This isn't right…I-I need to tell someone…I can't possibly be a normal creature, let alone an average ant…" the ant muttered to himself meekly, and quickly looked over the horizon to find any sign of help. Luckily, his eyes landed upon a tall and pointy, grey mass many miles away, but he instantly knew exactly what it was.

"A city. Perfect…but I don't think I'm flying there."

Struggling to learn how to land, the ant sloppily floated back down and landed face first in the gravel. But once more, he felt little to no pain, and hastily ran in the direction of civilization. And as the insect crossed the field, the same robin who snatched him up before, hovered high up in the sky, keeping a close eye on the ant—with a hateful glare.

* * *

By the time the ant reached the city, the sun had reached its highest peak begin the afternoon, and he was ecstatic to find out where he was and find help. He soon came up to a half-built building on the outskirts, and climbed up on some scaffolding to get a better view. And when he reached the top, he was speechless at the vast community and bustle below.

"What an interesting way to build a nest. It's certainly more— _modern_ than most insects' homes," the ant muttered, and then rubbed his chin in confusion, "Then again, how would a simple ant like myself know what modern society is? …I have yet to learn so much about this world, let alone myself, so I should find a reliable source for research."

Just then, the ant noticed some strange two-legged beings far below wearing flashy orange coveralls and bright yellow shells on their heads, "Interesting…humans with warning coloration…perhaps they could help me."

The ant started to climb down carefully, soon reaching the ground and approaching the group of large humans, but they didn't seem to notice him at first.

"Excuse me, Sir?" The ant's voice seemed to fall upon deaf ears, so he tugged on his pant leg to get his attention, only to unknowingly pull too hard and pull the one side of the man's pants down, embarrassing him by revealing some of his underwear.

"Oops…" One of the construction workers noticed the ant and wasted no time in attempting to crush him, but his efforts to crush him were just as futile as the train's, as his foot was quickly thrown back.

"Whoa, what the hell?!" the worker cried and fell back from the momentum.

"I think I've overstayed my welcome," the ant whimpered and tried to back away, but more large men appeared behind him and also tried to smash him between the ground and their boots.

But at the very last second, the ant suddenly darted off into the air, leaving them all dumbfounded as he flew away. The ant started to lose control as he flew forward, and his luck dwindled rapidly as he was fast approaching the busier and more crowded parts of the city.

Elsewhere, a young black man in his late teens was leaving his apartment building, as he showed off his black paperboy hat, light blue double denim jacket and darker jeans, as he strolled through his neighborhood.

The young boy soon came up to a somewhat busy intersection, and stuck his hands in his jacket pockets while waiting for the crosswalk signal to change.

"Just another day in the life of Nicky M," the man sighed in boredom while leaning against a pole, but turned his head in interest when he heard a car's breaks screech around a block, and the very same car sloppily made a turn and sped towards the intersection.

"What the-?" Just before he could finish his sentence, he cut himself off when he noticed an odd red dot on the windshield, which effectively seemed to catching the driver's attention.

The car's swerving ceased as he neared the intersection, but his speed did not, and so he ran a red light and nearly collided with a few oncoming cars on the sides. And as soon as the speeder passed the man, the same red dot suddenly flew towards him while screaming in terror.

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! LOOK OUT!" But its warning was too late, as it humorously flew into the man's mouth and partially slid down his throat.

Stunned, the panicked and started to hyperventilate while trying his hardest not to swallow the foreign object.

"Hey, stop moving! You're gonna make it worse!" the object's voice was muffled, but the man hastily stopped moving and mumbled frantically, "Yes, I know this looks bad, but just listen to me or else we're both going to do something we'll regret. You got it?"

He mumbled an "Uh-huh," as best he could, again without swallowing or inhaling.

"Good. Just sit tight while I climb out." The next thing he knew, he felt an unpleasant tickling sensation in his throat, and his face cringed when he felt it get closer to his uvula.

"You're gonna…make me puke…" he stuttered while hunching over and opening his mouth even wider.

"I would be able to move better if you'd stop moving!" the object snapped and suddenly darted out of his mouth, seemingly without hitting his gag reflexes. And as the object floated and shook off the saliva in disgust, the young man could believe his eyes.

"You're an ant," he gasped, a faint but noticeable ghetto accent in his voice.

"Yes, and _you_ are a Homo Sapien. Shall we delve deeper into this racial topic?" the ant questioned sarcastically.

"B-But…y-you're talking…and flying…how are you-?"

"I know as much as you do, Sir. Speaking of which, what is your name?"

"U-Uh, Nicky…Nicky Manos."

"Well, Mr. Manos, I wish I could further introduce myself as well, but I'm afraid I don't have a name. I am just an ant with no name and superpowers."

"Yeah, no kiddin'. But what're you even doing here? _How_ did you get here?!"

"Like I said: I haven't the slightest idea."

"Then what _do_ you know, Man?"

"Not much—except that I have super strength and flight. I also know that I need to find out more about how I came to be, so would you be so kind as to give me directions, or even tell me where I am?"

"You're in New York City, the city that never sleeps. So, good luck survivin' out here, Man—you're gonna need it."

With that, the crosswalk signal finally changed, and Nicky walked across the road like he originally planned, but the ant followed him into the city.

"You seem to know your way around. Couldn't I stay with you for a while?" the ant asked with high hopes.

"No way! I'm pretty sure I'm losin' my mind, and there's no way I'm indulgin' the ant that's talking to me," Nicky hissed in protest, trying to ignore the insect as he started speed-walking.

"I will admit, this _is_ something you would consider out of the ordinary."

"Way out of the ordinary, Man." Nicky finally turned to give the ant a cold scowl, but it was a big mistake.

"Watch out!" In the blink of an eye, Nicky looked back ahead to find that he had one foot in an uncovered manhole, and he expected to fall to his death. But when he pulled his hands from his eyes, he saw the manhole a few feet below him, and that his feet weren't touching the ground anymore; he then noticed a pulling on the back of his jacket, and he glanced up to find the ant carrying him effortlessly.

"Holy cow! You just saved my life, Man!"

"Aw, it was nothin'. After all, it's the right thing to do, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess so…but I really owe ya, Alonzo."

"Alonzo?" the ant repeated with a sneer.

"I gotta call you somethin', don't I?" Nicky asked with a smirk, as the ant carefully put him back down on the sidewalk.

"I suppose so…but I honestly don't like that name."

"Yeah, it's not one of my smartest ideas. I'll keep thinkin', but along the way." Nicky flashed the flying insect a knowing smirk, as he started walking again.

"What do you mean?"

"You're comin' with me."

"But I thought you said you wanted nothing to do with me."

"Hey, we all say things we regret sometimes. Now, c'mon, I wanna show you where I work—just try ta stay out of sight, Alf."

"Keep trying, Nicky."

* * *

Nicky and the ant soon arrived at a humble little barber shop by the name of 'Euro's Barber Shop', and a buff man with pale skin and a long black beard could be seen through the window, trimming the hair of a male customer.

"A barber shop, huh?" the ant asked out of curiosity, "Don't these places offer hair care?"

"Yup," Nicky simply replied.

"Well, what do you do here? Do you trim hair? Shave beards? How about make expensive perms?"

"Nah, I just sweep hair."

"Oh."

"I know, it's not as impressive as Mr. Euro's professions, but it's just where I'm at right now, and I ain't complanin'."

"Mr. Euro?"

"My boss. And I'm wanrin' you, takin' ant or not, you better stay outta sight, Aaron."

"That one doesn't do it for me either. But you better get inside, or else you'll be late. I'll be alright."

With a nod, Nicky hastily pushed the door open and rang the little bell inside, alerting his intimidating boss of his arrival.

"You're two minutes early, Nicky," Mr. Euro pointed out in a thick Russian accent, never taking his eyes off of his customer's head.

"I thought that was a good thing," Nicky jokingly argued while getting behind the counter to grab his apron, and then grabbed his broom and dustpan.

"You know I expect you to be at least five minutes early, Boy."

"Right. Won't happen again, Mr. Euro."

"You're darn right it won't happen again—otrod'ye."

As Nicky began his normal routine of sweeping up the excess hair, he looked up in fear when he saw his new ant friend in the window and excitedly waving at him. To try and save him, Nicky bared his teeth and batted a hand to the left to try and signal him to go away, but to no avail; he even started mouthing "Go away," but the ant was still in the window.

When Mr. Euro noticed the odd silence and checked on his sweeper boy, who stopped moving and smiled innocently at the very last second. But Mr. Euro still suspected something was and looked at the window with a glare, only find nothing there.

The big man scoffed and shrugged before going back to taking care of his customer again, allowing Nicky to slouch and sigh in relief. But it still begged the question: What happened to the ant?

"Hey, Nicky," there was a whisper in the said young man's ear, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Luckily, he didn't get his boss' attention this time, but he still wasn't happy to find the ant inside and floating right next to him.

"I told you to stay outside," Nicky whisper-shouted angrily.

"No, you said to stay out of sight," the ant corrected with a snarky smirk, making Nicky grunt and roll his eyes in defeat.

"Fine, you can stay in here. But if my boss so much as sees you, I ain't gonna be able ta save you."

"Oh, don't worry. Your boss won't know what he's dealing with until it's too late."

"Nicky! Stop talking to yourself like a psikh, and get back to work!"

"Yes, Sir! Sorry, Sir!" Nicky rapidly started sweeping, but managed to send his friend a few death glares. "You better not get me in anymore trouble, Axel."

"Ok, one: That one doesn't fit either. And two: Why do they all start with the letter a?"

"'Cause you're an ant."

"That's vaguely racist."

* * *

Nicky's shift ended at five o'clock that afternoon, and his new ant friend was eager to go with him and see where he lived; though, he was a little surprised it wasn't somewhere close to the hustle and bustle parts of the city, and that it was a more quiet—among New York standards, at least—apartment building out towards the suburbs.

"So, this is the abode of the famous sweeper boy, Nicky Manos?" the ant questioned jokingly.

"Yeah, it's also home ta Robert De Niro and Eartha Kitt," Nicky informed sarcastically.

"Really?"

"No, Man! You're too gullible!"

"I was asking out of disbelief. Anyway, I can't wait to meet your family."

"Oh, no! You don't wanna do that."

"Let me guess: It has something to do with that fact that I'm an ant with too many human-like qualities."

"Exactly. My parents are real big believers is God, and my sister can't _stand_ bugs. Trust me, she's just as bad as Mr. Euro. But if _any_ of them sees you, it won't end well either way."

"Ok, ok, I get it. Your family is just as irrational as you and your boss."

"Hey, I'm not the irrational one here! I'm the one invitin' a freak of nature like you inta my house!"

"Touché."

"Big Bro's home, Big Bro's home!" a tiny voice called from inside the building, and a little girl with dark skin and poofy hair in pigtails ran up to the said young man in excitement. Acting out of fear, Nicky quickly grabbed the ant in his hand and held him behind his back to keep him out of sight.

"H-Hey, Tiana," Nicky greeted nervously, trying desperately to keep the squirming ant in his grasp from escaping.

"Momma made spaghetti for dinner, Big Bro!" Tiana informed with a smile.

"You're serious? Oh, that's awesome!" Nicky forgot about the ant in his hand for a split second from his genuine excitement.

"C'mon, c'mon! It's ready!" Tiana suddenly grabbed one of Nicky's hands in attempt to pull him inside, but she unknowingly grabbed the hand that the ant was in, so he had to ball his hand into a fist to keep her from finding out.

"Wait!" Tiana reluctantly stopped and looked up at her brother in confusion. "I-I'll be in in just a sec, Tia."

Tiana smiled again and dropped Nicky's hand, excitedly turning around and skipping into the building. The ant finally had enough and broke out of Nicky's hand, flying up into his face in anger.

"At least give me a warning next time," the insect hissed.

"You're welcome, Angel."

"Uh, no."

* * *

A half hour later, Nicky and his friend headed up the second floor where his apartment was, and joined his family at the table for dinner. He and his little sister sat together on one side, and his parents sat together on the other; Nicky's parents were Teresa and Nicholas Manos, with his mom sharing the same darker skin tone with him, and Tiana looking more like her father.

"How was church, Pops? I'm guessin' empty since, ya know, it's Saturday," Nicky began with a smirk.

"There are plenty of poor souls out there who are glad to go to church on Saturdays, Nicky. You could learn a thing or two from them," Nicholas gently yet firmly protested, and his son held his hands up in defense.

"Do you have ta read at the table?" Teresa asked in annoyance, as her husband paid more attention to the newspaper in his hand than his own family, as per usual.

"Yes, I do," Nicholas simply replied. Out of nowhere, a high-pitched chuckle could be heard from somewhere in the room. Everyone glanced at each other in confusion, and then Teresa checked under the table. The ant was hiding under the table while snacking on a meatball, so Nicky quickly grabbed him in his hand and hid him behind his back before his mother could see him.

When his mother looked back up at him, he made a terrible attempt to mock the same high-pitched laughter and leaned down as well, "Sorry! Dropped mah meatball! I'm, uh, done anyway."

Nicky then grabbed the dirty meatball and put it on his empty plate, standing from his seat and taking his dishes to the sink.

"You are being the absolute worst house guest right now," Nicky whispered to the ant in annoyance, as the two headed to Nicky's room.

"I can't help it if your family is so tediously cliché," the ant protested, flying into Nicky's room before he could close the door on him, "Tell you what, when you help me find more about who I am—and when you give me a better name—I'll be on my merry way, and you'll never see me again."

Nicky pondered this for a moment, and the smirked in appeasement, "I could live with that."

So, the two shook on it—granted, it was slightly difficult for Nicky to grab the ant's tiny, three-fingered hands—but they somehow sealed the deal in the end.

"By the way, how 'bout Allen?"

"Still no."


	3. Chapter 2 - An Act of Bravery

Chapter 2 - An Act of Bravery

Sunday morning, a time when people took the advantage to sleep in all they wanted, and Nicky Manos was no exception; the only one in his family who was up at the crack of dawn was his father, but he didn't even start to stir until noon.

Nicky woke with a gasp not only because he realized that it was a new day, but also because of the possibility that yesterday could have all just been a weird dream—especially a certain talking ant.

"Hoo…thank God it was just a dream…mm, more like a nightmare," Nicky chuckled in relief while sitting up and stretching, cheerfully making his way downstairs to start this lazy day. And just as he expected, his little sister was already up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, sitting on the living room floor while wearing her favorite pink tutu and watching her favorite girly cartoon.

Nicky walked into the kitchen to find his mother watching a cooking show on much smaller TV, and there were some leftover pancakes on the countertop, to which he happily helped himself to.

Teresa couldn't help but notice the unusual smile on her son's face, "Someone's especially happy this mornin'."

"Yup! Just glad it's a new day, and _nothin'_ weird can happen," Nicky informed, pouring syrup on his pancakes.

"Yeah, I suppose that's a reason ta be all giddy," Teresa agreed in slowly confusion.

"Sure is. Thanks for the pancakes, Ma."

"You're welcome, Dear!"

With that, Nicky was so pleased and relaxed, that he decided to sit in the living room and maybe even watch some cartoons with Tiana.

"Good morning, Nicky!" Tiana cheerfully greeted and turned to face her brother.

"Mornin', Tia." Once Tiana went back to watching TV, Nicky lifted a bite of pancakes up to his mouth.

"I'm really hooked on this show," a tiny voice whispered in excitement, and Nicky looked down to find the exact same ant from yesterday sitting on the arm of the couch, taking him by complete surprise as he nearly spit out his food.

"The hell're you doin' here? You were supposed ta be a dream!" Nicky hissed quietly after swallowing.

"But last I checked, I am completely real," the ant protested with a grin while feeling himself all over to double check his existence.

The young man sighed and leaned back in his seat, placing his plate in his lap so that he could cover his eyes in disappointment.

"You gonna eat that?" Nicky opened his eyes to find his friend pointing at his breakfast.

"Yeah, actually, I am."

"Oh, come on, Nicky, I know you don't want me gone _that_ bad." The ant flew in front of Nicky's face while crossing his arms.

"That's debatable."

"Either way, we still have the mission of utmost importance here: Where did I come from?" The ant paused. "Do you work today?"

"No."

"Then hurry up and eat. We're going for a walk."

* * *

Nicky and his insect friend headed out that afternoon, sticking the more vacant sidewalks to avoid any suspicious eyes.

"An average ant queen couldn't possibly have brought me into this world, so perhaps there was some sort of unnatural interference in Mother Nature," the atom began with a hand on his chin to think deeply again

"You sure you're not just my imaginary friend?" Nicky questioned blankly.

"Yes, I'm sure—hmm, it would help if I could remember…"

"What _do_ you remember?"

"The first thing that comes to mind is a railroad track far outside of the city. Anything before that is just darkness."

"A railroad? Man, there's hundreds of tracks that leave the city! How're you gonna find just one?"

"Actually…I've managed to mark this one. And with a bird's eye view, I'll find it in no time. Stay here, I'll be back!"

"Wait!" But Nicky's cries fell on deaf ears, as his friend disappeared into the sky. Just then, he turned around when he heard a robin's song from up in a random tree. "Lord forbid _you_ start talkin', too."

Meanwhile, a churning sensation of excitement and fear filled the ant, as he knew he was possibly another step to finding out who he is. And those feelings tended to interfere with his concentration, as he found it difficult to navigate the busy city at the higher speeds.

"Not even a mouse could find their way out of this modern maze!" the ant exclaimed in surprise when he just barely missed the side of a skyscraper. And as soon as he rounded a corner, an unnatural buzzing filled his head and shook his antennae.

"Well, that's new…" He broke in mid-air and pondered the new feature, remembering that interfering with his sensitive feelers would have dire consequences; so, he left them alone and instead constantly adjusted his head to soften the static. Until finally, the static had vanished completely, and was replaced by a high frequency of sirens and cries for help.

As soon as the ant was certain of the direction of the danger, he abandoned his first objective and zipped off to do the right thing. And sure enough, he soon found the source of the commotion was a large building, a bank surrounded by police tape and cruisers, as wells as roaring crowds of panicked people.

"Stay back! There are hostages inside! They're being held at gunpoint!" the chief of police announced, his voice amplified by a megaphone. Curious, the ant averted his attention to the bank and his antennae were suddenly buzzing with separate readings of distress.

"If there is the unfortunate chance that that's true, they'll never rescue them without being seen," the ant pondered aloud, but then his eyes widened with realization. So, he darted down and flew through one of the holes in the smashed glass doors, braking in midair upon the terrifying sight of people balled up in front of and behind the counter, and many men dressed wearing masks were threatening them with large guns.

"Freeze!"

Each and every burglar turned their heads up with they heard the high-pitched yet booming voice, but were baffled when they couldn't find a police officer anywhere in the building.

"What was that?" a lackey questioned.

"I dunno, but stay focused!" the leader, the biggest and buffest man in the bunch, ordered while pointing at a group of people in a corner, and the lackey immediately went back to keeping his gun pointed at them.

And when the ant saw the numerous innocent people in that corner, especially a little girl, much younger than Nicky's sister, cower and whimper in fear once more, he now knew enough was enough.

"Shoot either one of those innocents, and you'll regret it!" the ant warned, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest. But none of the robbers thought to look for an ant, so his efforts to look bigger failed.

"Come out or else I'm gonna shoot!" the leader shouted while pointing a gun at a employee behind the counter, making her shriek.

"Oh, no you don't!" Out of nowhere, the leader's gun was suddenly ripped from his grasp and smashed into the ground, becoming nothing more than a mutilated piece of metal.

"This is your last warning: Surrender or suffer the consequences!"

"Where's that even comin' from?" another lower-ranking robber whimpered.

"This bank is haunted!" another lackey screamed and immediately dropped his gun to hold up his hands.

"No, it ain't! We're bein' played by some Smart Alec!" the head of the gang snapped, "But _we_ ain't playin'!"

With that, the leader snatched a gun from one of his cronies and aimed it right at a hostage's head, not wasting any time to pull the trigger. But as soon as the bullet exited the barrel, a loud boom filled the air and blood was never spilled. Completely shocked, the robber looked down at the floating bullet, which was now smooshed from the impact of the mysterious force that stopped it.

The ant then dropped the bullet and finally revealed himself, scowling up at the large man, "I tried to warn you."

The big man's eyes were now as wide as dinner plates, and he shook so bad that he dropped his gun as the ant floated up to his face.

"W-What…are you?" he quivered.

"I'm simply a genetically-mutated, super ant."

In the blink of an eye, the man was met with a punch that could match atomic power, and flew across the room like a rag doll before crashing through the doors and out onto the pavement. Dazed and confused, his nose bleeding and broken, and bruises all over his body, he was left to the mercy of the police outside, and the rest of the gang finally surrendered as well to the unbelievable sight.

The ant smiled at his success, especially when he saw the hostages start to stand and thank fate that their lives were spared.

"Hello." The insect turned to find the same little girl from earlier, who was once so full of terror and doubt was now filled with happiness and gratefulness, staring up at him with a big smile. This was the first time a stranger didn't gaze at him in fear or shock upon first seeing him.

Slowly, the ant floated down to her face, but was careful to keep his distance. She then did something even more unexpected: She held her hand out flat, as if to welcome the ant. Even more surprised, the ant curiously landed on her hand. With another smile, the girl carefully brought the ant up to her lips, and gave him a kiss on the top of his head.

"Thank you for saving us," she squeaked with great sincerity, making the ant blush with a goofy smile.

"Y-You're welcome…just another day's work for…huh," the ant began with a nervous chuckled while flying out of her hand, but then paused awkwardly, "I _really_ need a name."

* * *

Shortly after the ant left him, Nicky returned home to wait for him for an undetermined amount of time, but he came home to a very unexpected surprise.

"Breaking news: The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has just witnessed a most unsettling yet spectacular turn of events! What began as bleak robbery turned into to an amazing rescue by a mysterious vigilante! We have yet to learn the identity and whereabouts of this new hero, but we seem to have one witness with some information!" The cartoon Tiana was once glued to was now interrupted a news channel, as a news reporter was broadcasting the robbery at the bank just a few minutes ago. The reporter then approached a little girl standing next to her parents, lowering his microphone for her to speak.

"He was amazing! He had super strength and speed, and he could fly!" she happily announced.

"So, you've seen this man? Can you tell us what he looks like?"

"Yes, but he's not a man. He's a little ant."

The reporter instantly looked up at the camera in bewilderment, failing to believe this little girl and believing it was all just a fantasy. So, he cleared his throat and lifted the microphone back up to his lips, "Ahem! Well, as mentioned before, the true form of this brave rescuer has yet to be revealed! If anyone has any information about him, do not hesitate to call the tip line at-!"

Just before the number could be announced, Tiana suddenly changed the channel to watch another cartoon.

"Hey!" Nicky snapped, as he was staring at the TV with wide eyes beforehand. Tiana simply shrugged, obviously showing her lack of caring.

But Nicky was persistent, so he ran out of the living room and headed right for the door, only to be stopped by a flying ant after opening the door.

"You're amazing!" Nicky whisper-shouted in awe, careful not to attract attention from his sister or mother.

"What do you mean?" the ant simply questioned while floating into the apartment.

"Dude, that stuff you pulled at the bank was awesome! You're like a hero!" And just like the girl at the bank, Nicky extended his hand out to the ant, once again surprising him. But he wanted to indulge his only friend and landed on his palm.

"I was only doing what felt right."

"That's what heroes do, Man. And just think, if everyone knew who you were, you'd be famous!"

"But won't they be a little terrified of a talking insect?"

"Maybe at first, but they'll get used to it. After all, it's the deeds that make the man…or bug."

The ant smiled, "I guess you're right. But if you really want this super hero business to kick off, we need to come up with the perfect name first."

"No kiddin'," Nicky chuckled, "But don't worry, we'll come up with something. The story of an underdog never starts out easy, anyway."

* * *

A skinny and shadowy figure walked alone in the somewhat empty streets at night, as a gentle yet frigid sprinkle accompanied the restless city. He was dressed in a trench coat with his hood up, and pulling a small wagon full of various-sized with holes in them.

But as he passed by a TV store, he was suddenly captivated by the same breaking news channel earlier that day. Amazed, the figure dropped the wagon handle and approached the window, pressing his hands against it to get a better look. And when he heard the interview with the little girl, he was speechless.

But only for a moment.

"It seems my little experiment was a success…I was a fool for giving up on it so irrationally," Von Gimmick muttered, "But this is still a problem. If he really does join the fight for good, I might never achieve my dream."

Just then, the old man remembered his wagon and the special items inside. He turned his head down and grinned in realization, "Then again, what difference would one ant make against an army?"


	4. Chapter 3 - Electric Bird

Chapter 3 - Electric Bird

"Ok, so, I gotta ask: How'd you beat that lead baddie at the bank?"

"With an affective move known as the 'punch', I believe. But I suppose mine has more power—like an atomic punch."

"That's perfect! The Atomic Punch, that can be your signature move."

"You think so?"

"I _know_ so."

Nicky and the ant took advantage of being left alone while the rest of Nicky's family was out, and tried to spend the rest of the Sunday afternoon to figure out how to turn the latter into a legit superhero; although, it was easier said than done.

"Hmm…you sure you won't settle for The Magnificent Mandibles?" Nicky suggested, sitting on his bed while his buggy friend was perched on the headboard.

"No," the ant deadpanned, pointing at his face, "I don't even have mandibles anymore."

"How 'bout Phoenix Ant?"

"Too tacky."

"Super Bug?"

"Ok, that's just being lazy."

"Well, you gotta pick somethin', Man. No one's gonna buy a superhero that just goes by 'The Ant'," Nicky pointed out in annoyance, using air quotes to emphasize his point.

"It could happen," the ant argued with a shrug, making Nicky stand up and pace.

"C'mon, we gotta think—it's gotta be good, original, and obviously heroic."

"While also stating the obvious: I'm a mutated insect."

"Right. So, what'll do the trick…?"

All of the sudden, the ant's antennae begin to shudder, "Hold on, Nicky."

"What is it?" Nicky asked out of concern.

The insect was silent for a moment while flying up to the window, concentrating on the outside world, "Someone's in trouble."

"Someone's always in trouble."

"No, this is different—it's your family."

* * *

Teresa and Nicholas Manos were making a grocery run, and little Tiana was waiting in the baby seat of a cart as they were paying for their goods at the cash register.

"Honey, is it me, or has Nicky been actin' a little weird lately?" Teresa couldn't help but ask.

"He's a young man, Teri, and he's still growing. It's natural for kids his age to act abnormally when puberty comes along," Nicholas calmly brushed off the subject, loading more groceries onto the assembly line.

And out of nowhere, a screeching black blur flew over the family, instantly starting the line of people waiting to pay for their food.

"What was that, Mommy?" Tiana whimpered.

"It's just a bird, Tia," Teresa reassured.

"Careful, it might fly inta yer hair, Kiddo," the old man at the cash register joked, and poor Tiana shook in fright, "Oh, I'm just messin' with ya. Them rats with wings fly in through the back all the time. You've got nothin' ta worry about."

"I-I don't want birds to fly into my hair."

"I know, Baby, and they won't. Mommy's got you." Teresa carefully pulled Tiana out of the cart and held her close, giving her a hug to calm her down.

"Now, if you're done with trying to scare the youth, I'll bid you a good day," Nicholas firmly told the old man after paying, and the family continued on to exit the store.

But just before they could leave, sparks suddenly burst from all around the automatic doors, rendering them immobile. A staff member ran up to the doors and tried to open them, but to no avail.

"It's no good! They're locked!"

"These, too!"

"Are they all locked?!"

"What're we gonna do?!"

Panic started to spread throughout the store, as the lights followed after the entrances and exits, and more sparks flew to put them all out. The building was dimmer now, as the only light source was the daylight that came in through the windows.

"What's happening?" Tiana quickly asked.

"I-I don't know," Teresa replied in fear, "Nicholas?"

"Teresa, I don't think now is the time to discuss a natural phenomenon," Nicholas protested, unable to hide his fear and confusion as well.

"You're a man of faith, for crying out loud!"

The same black bird from earlier suddenly zipped past, causing another spark, even larger than before, to explode from the lights above and glass started to plummet.

Nicholas immediately grabbed his wife and daughter and pulled them out of the way, just in time before the spot they were just standing in was covered in razor sharp shards. Everyone else managed to duck for cover, luckily, but it didn't end there. All over the store, lights and other electrical devices started to explode, all while the bird flew around them.

"It's that damned bird! Kill it!" the cashier shouted and ran off to find something to fight with.

And as soon as the old man left, the bird finally landed on the counter, staying still long enough for some to make out its traits; the red feathers on its chest proved that it was a robin, but the rest of its feathers were a shimmering pitch black, and it was the size of a crow.

Its claws were long and sharp, too, as it scraped them across the counter and raised its back feathers to build up another electric charge.

"The cashier was right," Nicholas breathed in awe, but that allowed him to let his guard down long enough for the robin to blast him in the chest with a powerful shock, sending him flying back into some carts.

"Nicholas!" Teresa cried and ran to her husband's aid.

"Daddy!" Tiana exclaimed in terror, as she and her mother tried to shake Nicholas awake, but he was completely stunned.

The robin started to hiss in an unnatural and unsettling way, as it descended onto the floor and approached the family with its wings partially unfolded, ready to strike.

But just as the bird leapt into action, a window was shattered by a bullet-sized object, and it came barreling down onto the bird to effortlessly knock it across the room. The feathered fiend was thrown against a wall, sending an electric wave through an outlet and through the wall. It didn't take long for it to recover, though, as it stood and started hissing viciously again to approach the object of crossfire.

It was the ant, and he stood defensively in front of Nicky's family, "Ready to give up?"

Teresa and Tiana both gasped in utter shock when they heard the insect speak, but they were even more surprised when it started to fly and chase the fleeing bird around the building. The rest of the customers couldn't believe what they were seeing either, as they could all only watch in amazement.

The ant soon caught up to the robin, grabbing its talons and spinning around before throwing it hard, sending it flying back into shelves of goods and scattering the debris. But the bird was able to retaliate by flying back up to the ant at full speed, its feathers and talons buzzing with more electricity as it grew closer.

But the ant was smarter and instantly fled, leading the robin around the store until he came up to the hardware section of the store. He headed strait for shelves stocked with rolls of copper wire, grabbing a roll and unrolling it before taking two ends and flying back towards the robin.

Just as the electric build up in the bird's body was about to be released, the ant caught him in wire and dragged him to a nearby outlet, shoving the ends of the wire into the wall. Once the electricity in the bird's body was transferred into the wire, it instantly blew the outlet and singed the wall around it.

The ant quickly grabbed the wire and wrapped more around its neck and wings, rendering it immobile; he assumed that maybe he could use this bird's electrical attacks against it, but his theory was proved wrong when more electric waves traveled back through the wire into the bird, seemingly having no affect.

"Guess I'll have to find another way to daze and confuse you," the ant pondered aloud and flew off to find something else to use.

But just as he came back, a baseball bat collided with the bird and knocked him unconscious, as the old man from up front huffed in exhaustion.

"Man, you're quite the handful," the cashier panted.

The ant thought it was best to stay out of sight, and then flew out through another window, leaving the old employee to deal with the presumably dead bird. But as soon as he left, the old man looked around to make sure the coast was clear, dropped the bat, and quickly worked to untangle the robin from the wires.

"My apologies. I had to convince him you were defeated," the old man whispered to the motionless robin, "Worry not. I'll have you fixed up in no time—I'm the greatest scientist that ever lived, after all."

Meanwhile, the customers on the other side of the store were still trying to collect themselves what had just happened, and it wasn't long before Nicky came sprinting up to the doors. But they still wouldn't budge, no matter how much he kicked or pulled.

"Allow me," the ant insisted before floating up to the automatic doors, effortlessly breaking a large hole in the glass with a punch.

"Ma! Pops! Tia!" Nicky called out with worry, sprinting around the store until he finally found his family at the front, and he instantly ran to them.

"Nicky!" Teresa called back, as she embraced him.

"You guys ok? What happened?!"

"I'm not sure. One minute, there's a bird flyin' around. And the next, everything starts explodin' and breakin' down."

Nicky finally noticed he unconscious father, "What happened to him?!"

"Again, I-I just don't know. He was attacked by some…bird." Nicky's eyes squinted in suspicion at his mother's answer.

"A bird?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be right back, Ma."

With that, Nicky stood back up and went back outside to look for his insect friend, "Hey, you still there?!"

"Yes, I am," the ant calmly replied and flew up to him.

"You're smarter than you let on. So, how the hell does a bird do all _this_?"

"I wish I knew, Nicky, I really do. But I can't figure it out either. The strangest thing was the bird's capabilities, though. It could channel electricity through its body, and even use it to destroy other devices of the same use."

"That explains why it's so dark in there…"

"But the bottom line is, something's very wrong."

"Ok, so, what do we do?"

"I think _you_ should stay with your family, and help your father get some medical attention. Meanwhile, I'm going to scout around, see if I can find anything else out of the ordinary."

* * *

Luckily, Nicholas got away with merely a few bruises, and no one else visiting the store was gravely injured either. Eventually, authorities arrived and started to clean up the mess, sending the customers home with their groceries free of cost.

The Manos family was no exception, as they returned and tried to go about the rest of the evening as if nothing had happened; albeit, it was difficult to forget.

"So, Pops…" Nicky awkwardly as he leaned against the doorway to his parents' room, his father was already in bead reading The Bible, "How do you feel?"

"I feel much better, now. Thank you, Nicky," Nicholas calmly replied without looking up from his book, creating an awkward silence.

"Right…what do you think happened taday, anyway?"

"Perhaps The Lord was trying to send a message."

"What's he sayin'?"

"Well, God works in mysterious ways. Maybe he's trying to tell us a story, remind us of our sins, or even give us a warning?" The middle-aged man inhaled and closed The Bible, setting it onto his nightstand before taking his glasses off and putting them down as well. "Or it could have just been a crazed animal trying to get into the building. I may be a man of God, but I know when to be practical. Now, goodnight."

"Yeah, sure. G'night."

"Psst!" Nicky's attention was immediately diverted from his father, as he glanced down the hall to look for the owner of the voice, even though he already had a pretty good idea as to who it was. The young man walked down the hall and peered into his room, and the ant was sitting on the window sill.

"What's up?" Nicky asked.

"Listen, Nicky. Things are far worse than I thought," the ant quickly began, the firmness in his voice startling Nicky for a second.

"W-What makes you say that?"

"Right after a left the store, I followed some more distress signals. They were appearing all over the city, and all of them had one thing in common: Machines had suddenly gone on the fritz. That bird has done more damage than we know."

"You're sayin' all these occurrences are connected."

"What other explanation is there? I did some more investigating, and I found out that the machines all burst with flying sparks, just like the ones at the store."

"Ok, but you took down that bird, right? What's ta worry about now?"

"Creatures like this don't just appear out of nature, Nicky. Something's changed them, something vile—and I'm certain it's the same source that changed me."

"You really wanna find what's behind all this," Nicky stated matter-of-factly while sitting down on his bed.

"More than anything," the ant replied desperately, "And more importantly, protect the innocent from his or her other deadly monsters."

"Alright, I'll help you keep lookin' for answers, but tomorrow, ok?"

The ant sighed, "Very well."


	5. Chapter 4 - Name that Mutant

Chapter 4 - Name that Mutant

Since it was Monday and he would have to leave for school soon, Nicky didn't have much time to figure out where his little friend had gone; although, like every other time the ant had disappeared, he was sure he had gotten into trouble.

And Nicky was right to believe so. When he came home that afternoon, he walked into his room to find the ant lying back in his own bed, reading Nicholas' personal copy of The Bible.

"Dude!" Nicky whisper-shouted, closing the bedroom door and carefully snatching the book, "This is my dad's! If he finds out it's in here, he'll think I took it."

"But wouldn't your father appreciate you finally delving into these religious beliefs?" the ant inquired.

"He knows I don't care enough ta read the actual book. It'd just be weird."

"If you say so."

Nicky didn't say another word after that, and made sure the coast was clear as he went to put Nicholas' book back on his nightstand.

"I find it intriguing that you don't like this religion all that well. It's rather inspiring, in my opinion, especially that 'Adam' character," the ant began with air quotes, as he followed Nicky in curiosity.

"Oh, yeah. Adam from the Book of Genesis," Nicky sighed in realization.

The insect quirked an eyebrow in disbelief, "I thought you said you didn't care enough to learn about this."

"Ok, so I know _some_ stuff."

"Well, that's good. Before you so rudely interrupted me in a good book, I didn't get to read Adam's whole story. Would you mind telling me the rest about Adam and his partner, Eve?"

"Sure. Did you know that they were both created in God's image?"

"Yes, but that's as far as I got."

"At first, Adam was all alone, even though the Garden of Eden was beautiful and the animals were magnificent, he still felt incomplete. That's why Eve was created." As Nicky went on, the ant became more and more fascinated by the story. "When their love started ta bloomed, an evil snake named Satin told them to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Eve was tempted and convinced Adam to eat some, too. The fruit's poison made them finally see the good and evil in this world. After that, mankind has _never_ been the same."

"Amazing," the ant breathed in awe.

Nicky suddenly grinned in realization, "Ya know, in a weird and twisted kind of way, you're a lot like Adam."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You were both created by a mysterious force, you're the first of your kind—and you were never meant to be alone."

The ant looked at the boy in surprise at first, but he couldn't help but smile back at him in gratitude, "Did you just subtly say we're friends now?"

"Maybe. That bein' said, I think I've got the perfect name for ya."

"You know, to be honest, I really do like the name 'Adam'."

"Me, too. But check this out…"

Before Nicky continued, he grabbed a notebook and pen from his desk, and scribbled a couple words onto it. The first word was 'Adam', and the second one was 'Atom'.

"What's this?" the ant questioned in confusion.

"Your signature move is the Atomic Punch, which is amazing! You're a little bug with the power of an atomic bomb, so I think it's only fitting that we call you Atomic Ant."

The ant pondered Nicky's decision for a moment, putting his finger on his chin while humming, "That's a very good idea. But how about—Atom Ant?"

Nicky laughed, "Perfect. See? Told ya you were smarter than you let on."

* * *

Old feathers were whisked away and dried blood stained the operation table, as the smell of bird filled the dim office of Albert Von Gimmick. The robin that attacked the store was motionless, as it was safely strapped down onto the table while Albert cautiously worked on him.

"Any other scientist in their right mind would know not to try after this point. If not for me, there would be no hope for you," the mad scientist told the bird, sparks flying from a welding torch as he added the last adjustments to the robin's talons, "But I'm not like every other astronomer or engineer. Oh, no. I've got another trick up my sleeve."

Albert eventually finished fixing the new mechanical parts on the bird's talons, and stepped aside to wait for the metal to cool; over half of the robin's left wing was gone, and replaced with a precise arrangement of metal feathers; the talons on its right foot were no different, as the whole foot was nothing more than a mechanic limb with even longer and shaper razors for claws.

"All you need is another drop of this, and you'll be invulnerable—like a certain previous experiment of mine," Albert growled in disappointment at the thought of the ant that escaped, but he grinned when he knew this bird would not end up the same way. So, he used a tear dropper to extract one drop of his special blue liquid from the vial in the safe, and placed the single tiny drop onto the bird's chest.

Before long, the red feathers on its chest began to sizzle as the cyan liquid seeped into them, and the robin suddenly awoke and thrashed violently to escape. The rage in its burning yellow eyes, the ferocity of its new metal claws, and the viciousness in its hissing made Von Gimmick even more confident in this animal's potential.

"Calm yourself. You will go nowhere until you come to terms with me, but I'll admit that I like the fire in your eyes. It's truly intimidating," Von Gimmick began with a chuckle, but his smile soon faltered and turned to a glare as he leaned closer to the bird, "Now, tell me—how did you obtain my Forbidden Fruit Serum?"

At that, the bird's actions to escape ceased, and it stared quizzically up at the old scientist; eventually, it remembered its deformity, and glanced around the room until it spotted a computer. As soon as the bird focused on the machine, it whirred to life and the screen lit up, displaying a sentence, _It was your ant._

Albert gasped in fright and amazement when it saw the sentence type itself, and he was even more bewildered when he realized it was all the bird's doing. He quickly began to undo the leather straps on the table, letting the robin stand back on its and ruffle its feather to a more comfortable position.

"How are you doing that? And _why_ are you doing that? Can you not speak?" Albert asked with great curiosity.

Again, the bird quickly looked at the computer before looking back at Albert, and another sentence appeared on the blank screen, _I tried to consume your project after your threw it away, and the remnants of your serum on the ant clung to me, leaving me with no tongue._

"You lost your tongue, eh?"

 _Yes. Now, I seek revenge on that insect for taking away my ability to ever taste again. By the way, how did you know I came upon your serum?_

"I created it. I could practically smell it on you. And there was only one explanation as to how you gained your electrical abilities: It was because of me and my invention."

 _Well, thanks to you, I've lost a limb and gained a mission. I expect an apology._

"Oh, you won't get an apology out of me, but I can offer you some _far_ better." Von gimmick grinned as he went on. "You see, you and I want the same thing: To take down that wretched little insect once and for all. If you help me, you can get the revenge you desire. Do we have a deal?"

A wicked grin stretched across the robin's face, the computer beeping upon their command to get Albert's attention, _Of course._

"I'm glad we could agree. Now, I'd like to go over a few more necessities. Are you male or female?"

The bird gave him a deadpan look, _That's for me to know, and for you to never find out._

"Fine, fine. I was only curious. It wouldn't matter anyway, though. The name I have picked out for you is quite ingenious. Considering your inability to speak, and that you caused _quite_ the commotion at the store—I think the name that suits you is Mutiny."


End file.
